Nurses' experiences of providing person-centered care for older people with dementia : A meta-synthesis of qualitative studies

Abstract: Aims: This literature review aimed to synthesize nurses’ experiences of providing person-centered care for older people with dementia.  Background: Life radically changes for people with health problems, especially dementia. The number of people with dementia is increasing due to the rapid increase of the aging population. It is predicted that aging will increase worldwide from 5.7 million to 6.6 million people between 2017 and 2050. Around 10% of the elderly suffer from dementia and 3% live in dedicated nursing homes. This implies an urgent need to improve the quality of care for people with dementia.  Method: This study was conducted as a qualitative meta-synthesis. The electronic databases CINAHL and PubMed were used to identify relevant literature, complemented by manual searches of journals and references.  Results: The synthesis of findings from seven studies unveiled nurses' experiences in delivering person-centered care to individuals with dementia, yielding two overarching themes: "Person-centered care in practice" and "Organizational perspectives within person-centered care". Under "Person-centered care in practice", nurses recognized the significance of personal connections, support, and adaptation, considering the patient's life history crucial. "Organizational perspectives within person-centered care" revealed challenges such as high workload and negative attitudes, hindering person-centered care implementation. Nurses expressed concerns about a lack of knowledge and skills, emphasizing the importance of education.  Conclusion: Knowing the patient's life history improves several aspects of care such as communication between the nurse and the person suffering from dementia. Patient safety and security will also improve. If nurses are aware of the patient’s likes and dislikes, the overall care can be more personalized.